Aug 20, 2010 By Rebekah Sungala 2 min read

POINT MARION – Point Marion residents are being reminded to call 911, and not the borough police department, if there is an emergency and they are in need of assistance. At Wednesday’s council meeting, Mayor Bob Wolfe said an officer is not in the station at all hours of the day and may not receive any messages left on the police department’s answering machine for several hours.

“If people need police, they need to call 911,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe said 911 will dispatch a borough police officer to the site of the emergency if one is on duty, and that state police will be dispatched if no borough officers are on duty.

People only should be calling the borough police department if they have a non-emergency issue that does not need immediate attention, Wolfe said.

Wolfe also cautioned people that there have been a rash of thefts involving items stolen from unlocked vehicles.

In other business, council discussed ongoing problems with Camp Run Road Bridge.

The bridge officially has been closed since 2008; however, people continue to move the barricades and drive across it. Pedestrians also still use the bridge.

Council decided to close the deteriorating bridge after estimates to repair the bridge came in between $50,000 and $60,000. The borough, according to council, did not have enough money at the time to fix it or even tear it down.

The bridge provides access to one residence and a storage unit, both of which can be accessed without crossing the bridge.

Borough engineer Steve Buchanan of Alpha Associates Inc. of Morgantown, W.Va., previously told council that a steel beam that runs the length of the bridge corroded and needs to be replaced for the bridge to reopen.

Borough manager Arthur J. Strimel said Wednesday a person from U.S. Bridge, a company that deals with pre-engineered permanent vehicular truss and beam bridges, to look at Camp Run Road Bridge and see what can be done. Strimel said the borough will receive a quote to replace the bridge and a quote to demolish it.

In other matters, Councilwoman Karen Ferrell and Jim Hackett, a former councilman, were appointed grant representatives for the borough.

Hackett presented council with a proposal for $20,000 in grant money from the Community Foundation of Fayette County to pay for a feasibility study of a streetscape project in the borough.